Dr. Frost left his work, punched his data pad and summoned an autocab. He was about to step in when he heard his name called and turned to see a tall, young looking man jog up to him.

"Dr. Frost. Arlen Downs. I wonder If I could have a few minutes."

"I'm on my way home, you can call and make an appointment."

"I'd like to talk about a special project."

"About what?"

"You know - a special project."

Frost suddenly realized the man meant Diane's work and he looked around, clearing his throat. "I have nothing to say . . . I don't know what--"

"It's okay, Doc. I know you know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't have time--"

"Let's make time, Doc." Arlen smiled and gestured to the cab.

********

Diane stared at the second cryptic message she had received in a matter of hours and couldn't decide which to reply to first. Her quandary ended when Hunter showed up at her quarters, insisting they go out for a bite to eat. He led her to a bench on the manicured grounds of the HEEP complex.

"What's this about and why are we going out to eat? Your message said we have to talk."

"We do and we're not going out to eat but I didn't trust your disruptor."

Keeping his voice low Hunter told her all about the visit from Hargreave."

"Someone somewhere has obviously leaked something." She frowned and blushed slightly. "I just spoke a thought out loud."

"Yeah, well it's definitely out there. I just wanted you to know so you didn't get blindsided."

Diane told him about the strange call from Dr. Frost and then suggested Hunter go with her to see what he wanted.

"I have no idea about this stuff, what good can I be?"

"Moral support. Besides, you saved me so I could get into this situation."

He blinked and looked startled, suddenly caught up in the impish grin she displayed.

"So I'm the white knight, eh?"

"Absolutely."

********

There was a few moments of uncertainty when Diane showed up with Hunter in tow. Dr. Frost questioned her sincerity about keeping the project secret but soon agreed, realizing who Hunter was, that it was probably a good idea in light of what he was about to tell her.

He told them about Arlen Downs accosting him on the street, forcing a ride with him in his cab and asking him all kinds of questions, threateningly, about why he was seeking financing for a special project and who else was involved.

"Did you tell him?"

"No . . . I had to tell him something . . . he was getting physical." Frost hesitated then revealed he had spoken to Diane about some research she wanted to do and that he had made inquiries into financing.

"Did he say how he knew about it?" Diane asked, not pleased to have been exposed.

"No and that's what is troubling. He never asked who I spoke to about financing. It was like he knew."

"You told your financial source about the process?" Hunter butted in.

"Well I obviously had to give some detail. People don't blindly invest huge sums of credits without some idea of what it is."

"How much did you have to give away?" Diane asked.

"I only said it was a unique method of preserving biological samples and that it would prove revolutionary."

"That it?"

"Yes, that was it, Mister Hunter."

"Lewis. The name's Lewis."

Diane raised calming hands and asked whom he had approached.

"Vatten Industries. They are a very big name in private R and D. I happen to know the CEO, a Horace Torrance."

Hunter revealed his visit from Hargreave and they debated back and forth if he learned somehow from Vatten Industries.

"Not from Horace. I can vouch for him." Frost said.

"So where did Hargreave and this Downs guy get their rumours from?" Hunter grunted. "You know, since this Arlen guy never asked about your source it could mean he did know, which could also mean your friend Horace knows Arlen."

Diane leaned on the arm of her chair and stared at Dr. Frost.

"Does that sound possible, Doctor?"

Frost looked down at his desk and lifted a helpless hand. "I suppose anything's possible."

"Did Chesterton know anything about what I brought back?" She said suddenly, turning to Hunter.

"Not from me. I only know you said it was your research stuff when I asked about your pack. Did he ask you about it?"

"No, but there had to be plenty of opportunity to snoop on the trip back."

"I could have done that too, Diane."

"Did you?" Frost asked.

"No, I didn't and touché, Doc." They traded, case closed glances with small smiles. "I haven't spoken to him since the inquiry. I'm not even sure where he is now."

"We need to find out. He's the only possible loose thread who might have had access to my notes."

The statement said that the project might be compromised and Diane asked Hunter if he could track Chesterton down. Hunter nodded and said he would find him. "Just one thing. Can I get some idea of what this is about so I know what to look for or what questions to ask? I don't want any secrets just an idea of what this condensation thing is."

Diane raised her eyebrows at Frost and he pulled at his nose, thinking.

"Alright I can give you a quick course if you like.

********

Dr. Frost rocked back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. "Have you ever heard of Promession?' He shook his hand. "Doesn't matter. The principle is this. You take an organism, let's say for example you, Mr. Lewis, and you perform a cryogenic freezing of your body. That's done with liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celcius--"

"That's chilly."

"Indeed. It crystallizes your body. Next, through a controlled vibration process, the body is fairly quickly reduced to particles. The particles are freeze-dried to remove the water. Roughly 30% of the original mass remains and nothing but water has been removed."

Hunter looked doubtful. "So now I'm just a pile of something like dust?"

"Not exactly, there is still all the metal elements that the human body contains. Roughly 10 are considered essential and about as many that we don't. It is arguable."

"So dust and metal."

"Yes. In the Promession process the metal is separated out and the remaining substance repackaged, in our example, in a biodegradable coffin and buried. In about a year and a half it is absorbed into the soil and becomes fresh nutrient."

"Literally dust to dust!"

"You could say."

Hunter expelled a long breath and grinned at Diane. "So this is something like your condensation project. You do all the stuff the Doc said except you somehow put the water back to restore it to whatever it was."
"Something like that, but considerably more complicated."

"Okay, at least if it comes up I won't look totally stupid."

"Promession is not a secret, Mr. Lewis it has been around for a long time. You could have read what I just told you on any scientific site."

"The difference, Hunter," Diane touched his arm, "is that what we did with that must remain classified. If HEEP ever learned about this and our involvement . . ." She looked helplessly between the two men.

********

Mark Chesterton sat comfortably across from Horace, a superior smirk playing about his lips. The two were meeting at Chesterton's residence in the hills outside the city; Horace looked worriedly across the wooded vista from the cantilevered balcony platform.

"Arlen discovered that it was Dr. Sommers who was looking for financing. She hopes to continue with whatever she and Cusack were working on."

"Did Frost say that?" Chesterton asked.

"No, but what else could it be? He told me after leaving Frost he followed him home and then back to his office. He saw a couple go into Frost's building and thought he recognized the woman."

"Diane Sommers."

"That's my guess."

"So, you're right, she wants to continue with the project she and Cusack worked on at Galapagos. I knew that was her plan in carrying that research back and not telling anyone. That's what Frost is after credits for, Horace." Chesterton stretched out his legs and smiled widely.

"But you said you had her notes, why do we need them?"

"Copies, Horace and in the little time I had to get those I didn't get them all. There is too much detail missing. I couldn't even dream what they found out. We need them . . . or at least her."

"What are you suggesting?"

"We don't need or want anyone else involved, it'd be nothing but trouble."

Horace stirred uneasily. He knew exactly what Chesterton was hinting at and if he wanted to be a player in this game he had to comply.

"Should I talk to Arlen?"

"You bet you should."